Collaborative robots differ from the huge industrial robots used by automakers in that they're smaller, task-agnostic, and easy to program on the fly. Features like force sensors and machine vision enable them to operate outside cages and alongside humans.

Many of these robots actually act as a second pair of dexterous hands to augment the capabilities of skilled workers.

The market for collaborative robots is surging and could be worth $4.3 billion by 2023, with a CAGR of 57 percent.

With its new e-series line, Universal Robots is dialing in some of the features that have helped spur growth in the cobot market, like new force/torque sensors that aid applications that require precise force control, such as sanding and polishing.

"The global cobot market is the fastest-growing segment of industrial automation," says Stuart Shepherd, Regional Sales Director for Universal Robots' Americas region. "The e-Series will continue to propel this class of robots forward into new applications in small machine shops and large enterprises alike."

With no sign of a slow down in the cobot market, both companies are expanding aggressively in new markets like Southeast Asia.

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